The genesis of the first Captain Beefheart album SAFE AS MILK is suitably shrouded in mystery, but the result is a collection of performances that meld blues, R&B, avant garde rock, and West Coast pop in a unique and heady mix that's like nothing else in the Captain's oeuvre. While subsequent outings would emphasize the full-on weirdness of Beefheart and his Magic Band, songs such as "Yellow Brick Road," "Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do" and "Abba Zabba," while not without their own sonic quirks, still sound fresh and accessible today.With uncredited appearances by such luminaries as Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, SAFE AS MILK's overall feel is adventurous, free flowing, yet with an underlying discipline that Beefheart would throw to the wind on subsequent releases. There's even an attempt at doo-wop harmonies on "I'm So Glad," though the harp-flavored "Plastic Factory" finds him in more familiar R&B territory. Beefheart would never again sound this conventional, or, some might venture, this coherent.